Deceit and Lies
by Adamante
Summary: After searching for his long time friend, Raguna arrives in Trampoli. As peaceful as it may look on the outside, this town has it's secrets. And it's those secrets that Raguna is determined to find out. Especially the biggest one of all - Iris.
1. Gone, Without a Trace

**So... I just came up with this idea on the fly and decided to write it. I hope you all enjoy it. Oh, and this is like an alternate story of RFF. Very different from the original game, with only a few exceptions. This chapter also contains slight spoilers for the end of RF1 and maybe for the beginning of RFF. You were warned.**

**I don't own RF or any of it characters.**

* * *

_**Deceit and Lies**_

**_Chapter 1: Gone, Without a Trace_**

**_--_**

I woke up to the sound of rainfall. Looking out of my window, I saw that it was indeed, raining outside.

_'Hmm... since it's raining today, I guess Mist will visit soon.' _I thought.

Getting out of the bed, I went to the kitchen to make breakfast. I would have to remember to put turnips in Mist's food; since she loved them so much. While I was looking around in my refridgerator, I heard a knock at my door.

"Oh. That must be her now." I said while walking towards the door. When I opened it though, Lynette was on the other side instead of Mist; which was suprising. But I smiled despite my confusion and greeted her anyway. "Hey, Lynette. What brings you here? Mist is usually the one who comes to my house around this time--"

"That's the thing." She curtly replied, cutting me off. "No one can find her anywhere."

"What?" I asked confusedly.

She walked into the house and I closed the door behind her. "Did I stutter? I said no one can find Mist anywhere. She's missing." Ah, that was Lynette for you. Serious and blunt to a fault.

"Are you sure? Did you look everywhere?" I asked, still not sure that Mist was missing.

She nodded firmly -- it was as if she was still in the army. "Yes. I looked everywhere in the village except for your house. And judging by what you said when you opened the door, I can confirm that she is officially missing."

Missing? Mist couldn't be missing. There was just no way! "Did you look in the caves? She could be in one of--"

"I searched in every last one of them. She was no where to be found." Lynette replied.

I crossed my arms and scoffed. "And you did all of this searching by yourself? I find that hard to believe."

"Don't be stupid." She flicked a strand of pink hair out of her face, sitting down at my table as she did so. "I got the other villagers to help."

"And... you couldn't find her, huh?" I felt my voice getting lower. Mist couldn't have left -- not like this. She couldn't have left without saying a word to anyone. It just wasn't like her.

"Yeah... we were planning to search in places she usually visits, and since you're a close friend of hers, I thought you might know of some." Lynette said.

"Well... she really only spends time at my farm and her house. Although she does visit Rosetta at the general store sometimes." I said, racking my brain for places Mist would visit. It's not I knew where and what she did 24-7, I just came up with things based on off-hand comments she made when she would talk to me.

"Alright. We'll search around your farm and then search the general store. I've already looked in her house." Lynette replied, getting up from the table and picking up her umbrella. Afterwards, she looked back at me. "You'll help me search, right?"

Shouldn't it be obvious? "Of course I will." I replied calmly. "I can't sit back when I know my best friend has gone missing."

"Alright then. Let's move out." Lynette said, opening up the front door.

I laughed. "Um, Lynette. You _do_ know that you're not in the army anymore, right?"

She crossed her arms and turned away with a huff. "I know that, it's just... a force of habit."

"Alright, whatever you say." She glared at me and I continued. "So... do you want to search the general store while I search the farm?"

Lynette gained her composure and replied. "Ah, yes. I will search there and you search here. If you're not done searching the farm by the time I come back, then I'll help." As Lynette started to leave, I called her back.

"Lynette! Have you told any of the other villagers? We could probably find Mist faster if we--"

"I've already thought of that." She interrupted. "But... I can't tell the others. If they found out, then the whole town will be worried and I didn't want to put them all through that until I was completely sure Mist was missing. So... if we can't find her, then I'll tell the villagers. But until then--"

"I understand." I said. "You know, Lynette... you're not such a bad person after all."

"Hm. Well... like I said. Make sure you thoroughly search for her, and don't tell anyone about this. For now, at least." She walked off without another word. You know, it was hard to see with all this rain and the umbrella over her face, but I could've sworn that I saw a small smile on her face before she left. Well, what do you know? You see something new everyday.

I walked towards the barn and checked in there, there was nothing in there but the monsters. After that, proceeded to check all five of my barns and still came up with the same result.

Nothing.

_'Mist couldn't really be gone, could she? I mean, she loves this place. She loves her friends. Why would she leave?' _I thought as I searched around my field. _'Yeah, she has no reason to leave. So... what if someone kidnapped her? Or even worse... what if she went into a cave and one of the monsters... I don't even want to think about that.' _Not finding her anywhere in my field, I sighed. Where could she be?

"Raguna!" I heard a voice call from the entrance of my farm, although it was hard to hear over the sound of the heavy rain. I looked towards the source of the voice and saw Lynette standing there, under her dark blue umbrella. As I ran over to her, I dropped my umbrella in the process. Not that it mattered anyway; I was already soaking wet from all the searching I did.

"Let's go inside." She said as I caught up to her. Lynette held out a small folded piece of paper to me. "I think you should read this."

After we went inside of my house, I didn't even bother to dry off. I immediately got the piece of paper from Lynette and started reading it.

_--_

_Hey Raguna,_

_I don't want to be too blunt, but I have something I need to do. I've decided to leave Kardia. It's not for forever, just temporarily... but then again, I'm not too sure. Maybe I will be gone forever. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll meet again someday. _

_Please stay in Kardia, Raguna. I don't want you to follow me... because things could get really dangerous where I'm going._

_You're the only one I told this to because I felt I could trust you. You're a reliable person, Raguna, and I'm glad I got the chance to meet you. You were, and still are, one of my best friends -- don't forget that._

_So... have fun, and live your life peacefully with the Earth. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay._

__

_This is... goodbye, I guess._

_Love, Mist_

_P.S. Thanks for all the Turnips! :)_

_--_

"So... it's true..." I said, lowering my head to the ground. "She really did leave."

Lynette looked at me worriedly and patted my shoulder. "I'm sure she had a good reason to."

"She did say she had something to do. But that it would also be dangerous...." I looked up at Lynette. "What if she dies, Lynette? Mist _herself _wasn't even sure if she was coming back to Kardia! What if she went on some kind of suicide mission? What would happen then?"

Lynette shook her head and turned away from me. "That, I don't know."

I sighed and looked out of the window. The room was silent and it stayed like that for a while until Lynette spoke again.

"I'm... sorry." She said in a low voice.

I turned towards her, confused. What was she apologizing for? None of this was her fault. "What for?" I asked.

"I'm the one who lives with Mist, and I let her get away without knowing anything. I'm truly ashamed of myself. First, I failed the Sechs Empire and now I've failed you and Mist. I'm nothing... but a worthless, incompetent woman." She scowled and looked down to the ground. "Maybe... it would've been better for everybody if had killed myself back then."

"Don't talk about yourself like that!" I yelled unintentionally. "None of this is your fault Lynette. It's no one's fault."

"But--"

"I'll find Mist. I'll find her, and bring her back home." I said, interrupting the pink haired woman. "Once she's back, she won't have to put herself in any kind of danger. I'll keep her safe -- I owe her at least that much. She's done a lot of things for me... I need to pay her back somehow."

"Well, if that's the case," Lynette said, regaining her former composure. "Then I'll come along--"

"You can't Lynette. You have to stay here in my stead and protect the villagers." She reluctantly nodded, and I continued. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough."

"But... what if both of you get killed?"

I shook my head. "No. I won't let that happen. We will both come back home... safe and sound."

Lynette smirked and walked towards the door. "I see. Raguna, you're a very... stubbon person." I laughed and she shook her head. "And for that... I respect you. I'm counting on you to bring her back. Make sure that you both come back safely."

I nodded. "Will do."

A small smile appeared on Lynette's face and she left the house.

* * *

The following day, I left my farm without a word to anyone. Lynette promised me that she wouldn't tell anyone where I was going -- that would keep the villagers safe for the time being. If they decided to follow me, then it would be... troublesome, to say the least.

As I weaved through the large abundance of trees and twigs, I wondered... did Mist go through this forest when she left the village? Did she have everything she needed for a journey?

There I was, worrying about her again. But, who wouldn't worry about a person like Mist? Her common sense was... _questionable _sometimes. And I doubt she's been on any adventures by herself.

After taking out my sword and cutting a vine out of my way, I sighed.

Just what kind of mess was I getting myself into?

* * *

**So there's the first chapter. Not too eventful, I know. But this is just how things are starting out. This chapter is bascially my rendition of what happened when Raguna finds out that Mist left Kardia before the events of RFF.**

**And this story will not be a retelling of RFF, no... this story will be completely different. It will get more interesting in later chapters. **

**I hope you continue reading this story as more and more chapters come out.**


	2. Reunion

**Yeah... sorry it took so long to update this. I actually had the second chapter written a long time ago but it, along with all the other files on my laptop, were erased when the stupid thing broke down. Starting everything over from scratch is not fun...**

**Nothing much happens in this chapter. It's kinda like in the beginning of Frontier when Raguna finds Stella's church and stays the night then he finds Mist in the morning. This is a little different than that.**

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**_Deceit and Lies_**

**_Chapter 2: Reunion_**

Raguna had no idea where he was going. He had been walking for hours - or was it days - and still hadn't found any sign of Mist. Was it even a good idea to do this? Maybe she was already dead... maybe it was useless to look for her now...

...

No. No, he couldn't think like that. How _could_ he think like that? He was sure that if Mist was in his position, she'd keep looking until she found him. She may have been... _quirky_, but she was very important to Raguna. Back when he had first arrived in Kardia, she had been helpful and supportive of him in whatever he did. Mist had always been there to help him in the dungeons, fully aware of the danger she was putting herself in. She had been there when he fought to protect Kardia from the Sechs Empire, giving him her faith and support - motivating him when things got tough.

Mist had never lost her faith in him before, so he wasn't about to lose faith in her, either. He would find her and bring her back home.

Back to Kardia where they both belonged.

He squinted his eyes as he tried to see through the trees. It was starting to get dark outside and it was getting harder to see. His supplies were starting to run low, too. If this kept up, he probably wouldn't be able to survive long enough to find Mist.

Raguna sighed. He had to find a place to rest and soon. He had been walking for who-knows-how long and still found no houses, huts, rest stops - _anything_.

But he would survive. If not for himself, then for Mist. He had at least owed her that much.

* * *

Stella realized that as she got older, the days grew longer. When she was younger she had plenty of activites to occupy her time, but now that she was getting older and had nothing to do but run the church, she found that the days felt longer than usual - more tiring.

Not that she would quit her job. She was the head nun and founder of Trampoli... an important position for someone like her. Many people would be honored to be in her place. And speaking of that... what _was_ she going to do about a successor? It wasn't a secret to anyone that she was starting to get on in years, so she had to find someone to take her place as mayor in case she died.

_'No,'_ she thought amusedly, _'I should think about this later. Besides, I'm not planning on relinquishing my title to anyone anytime soon. This old woman still has some life in her, yet._'

With a chuckle, she turned out the lights to main part of the church and started to prepare for bed when she heard a weak knock on the front doors.

If it wasn't for the fact that the church was completely quiet she probably wouldn't have even heard it? Who would knock so weakly on such a grand door as that? And didn't the villagers know that the church was closed at this time of night? Nobody would have come unless it was some kind of emergency, and considering the fact that she was the leader of the village it would make sense for them to come to her. Slightly confused, Stella walked to the two large doors and opened one gently, looking out into the dark night. Failing to see anything or anyone, she sighed.

"I must be hearing things. I really am getting old..." And as she went to close the doors, she heard a weak moan at her feet.

"P-please..."

Surprised, Stella looked down to the source of the moan to find a young man - he didn't look any more than 20 - laying at her feet. His hair was a dark brown and his eyes were blue and dull - he looked terribly weak. An exhausted traveler, perhaps?

"Oh my." She murmured as she helped him up to his feet. "You look absolutely horrible, dear. Come in. I'll give you some food and a place to rest."

The young man put his arm around her shoulders for support and mumbled a "thank you". As she helped him into the spare bedroom. Once they were in there, she sat him on the bed.

"Now just rest here, I'll bring you something to eat soon." He nodded in affirmation and she smiled at him before walking out of the room and towards the kitchen.

_'Spring has just started and it is still fairly cold outside. Considering how little he was wearing, he's probably freezing.'_ She bustled through the kitchen, taking out various ingredients and setting them on the counter. _'He'll need some warm soup.'_

As she turned on the stove, she laughed to herself. It had been so long since she cooked for someone like this. Suddenly doing after such a long amount of time felt... strange, to say the least.

Once she finished with the vegetable soup, she put some into a bowl and put the rest in the refridgerator for later - no need in wasting perfectly good food. Afterwards, she took it to him in the guest room. When she arrived, she noticed that the boy was still sitting up in the same position she left him in. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down to the ground in deep thought. Worried, she walked over to him and held out the bowl of soup.

"Eat this, child. You will no doubt feel better."

He looked up to her and smiled, taking the bowl gratefully. "...Thank you, ma'am."

She wondered where he came from. Why was someone so young traveling around on his own? How long had he been walking to look this weak...?

She shook her head. It was none of her business - she barely knew the boy. And, if he wanted to tell her his reasons for coming then he would do so tomorrow. It was going on midnight and they both needed their sleep.

"Well, young man. After you finish that soup just put the bowl on the nightstand and get some rest. You'll need it, I'm sure." She added the last statement with a smile.

He ate some of the soup and she could see him getting better already. "Thank you for the food and lodging, ma'am. I had been traveling for so long and hadn't found any place to rest."

She smiled and shook her head. "Not at all, young man. It is only the right thing to do after seeing one in your condition. And please, call me Stella. I was never one for formalities."

In response, the young man laughed. "Funny, I'm not good with formalities, either. I was just trying to be polite... oh, and you can call me Raguna."

Stella smiled. There was something about this young man that she liked. She felt so comfortable and familiar with him - almost as if she had met him long ago.

"Well then, Raguna, have a nice rest. I shall see you in the morning." And with that, she left out of the room and headed to her own.

* * *

_Raguna didn't know where he was. Everything was so dark that he couldn't even see himself. Confused, he began to wander aimlessly - not knowing where he was going but not wanting to stay in one place, either. He had wandered for a good amount of time before hearing a feminine voice call out to him._

_"I'm here. I'm here, Raguna."_

_The voice sounded so sweet so... so familiar. The voice kept repeating the same line over and over again, somehow leading him through the endless darkness. He followed the voice until it stopped abruptly._

_"Huh?" He uttered in confusion. They couldn't stop now. They were helping him. "Where did you go?"_

_All of a sudden, Mist appeared in front of him and the darkness was replaced by a forest. Now he was even more confused._

_"I'm here, Raguna..." She said, encircling her arms around his waist and burying her face into his chest. "I'm right here."_

_"M-Mist...?" He was happy to have found her, of course, but still shocked. Where had she come from? What was she doing before he found her?_

_She apparently noticed his lack of reaction and looked up to him sadly. "Why do you sound so surprised...? You wanted me back, didn't you? I'm here! What's wrong?" She was glaring at him now, something that was so unlike her that he couldn't help but push her away. That wasn't Mist. She never yelled or glared at anyone. Just what was happening?_

_"I don't want **you**." He found himself saying. "I want Mist... I want my friend back."_

_"But I am Mist!" Tears were in her eyes now and she was yelling like a child who couldn't have her toy. "Why won't you believe me?"_

_He shook his head. "You're not her. She would never act like that."_

_All of a sudden, she stood still. Her eyes changed colors - one was red and the other was green. Her hair became shorter and was now a shining silver and the dress became black with pink frills on the bottom of her skirt. Her boots turned black to match with the outfit and she was now wearing long black socks that covered her thighs._

_"Do not interfere. Leave now. Before it's too late." The girl said._

_And before he could question what was going on, his vision went black._

When he opened his eyes he did not see the empty darkness or the strange forest from before. What he saw was the room that Stella had put him in last night - the same cozy bed, the small nightstand with the bowl on top of it... it was like nothing had happened.

Which, technically, it didn't. What he had just experienced had to have been a dream. It would make some kind of sense for Mist to be in it... but who was the girl at the end? And what did she mean by that last statement?

What didn't she want him interfering in? Why'd he have to leave?

...He wouldn't think about that now. He probably had such a crazy dream because he was so weak. And anyway, there were more important things to think about at the moment. Since he had eaten and rested, he could set out again today to look for Mist.

As he looked around the room, he could see the sun shining through the window, indicating it was morning. Feeling fully rested, Raguna got out of bed and fixed it before picking up the soup bowl on the nightstand and walking out of the room. He smiled when he saw the kitchen and washed the bowl out in the sink, drying it and putting where she kept the rest of her bowls. It was least he could do after imposing on the poor woman in the middle of the night.

After that task was finished, he walked down the hall until he saw a door that was larger than the ones that led to other rooms. Recognizing this as the door Stella led him through last night, he opened it and saw her standing at a podium, reading. After taking look around at the large room it could obviously see that it was a chruch of some sort. It reminded him of the one back in Kardia.

"Hello, Stella." He said, hoping to get her attention. When she looked up from her book, he continued. "Thank you again for last night."

"No worries, Raguna. I was glad to help you on your way." She smiled and walked from behind the podium and over to him. "So, are you heading out?"

He scratched his neck sheepishly. "Yes. Sorry I couldn't stay longer, but there's something important I have to do. I'm really in a hurry."

She shook her head and handed him the bag he was carrying the night before. "I expected that. Here, I refilled your bag with plenty of supplies. I've put in food, water, and medicines too - just in case you get sick and you're not near any clinics."

He gratefully took the bag with a grin. "Thank you so much, Stella! How can I repay you for this?"

"Just have a safe journey. That's all I ask."

And before he could reply, the sound of an opening door caught both Raguna and Stella's attention.

"Hello, Sister Stella! I was wondering if you-" The girl stopped dead in her tracks when she walked into the church. The look on her face was one of shock. And unbeknownest to Raguna, he was giving her the same exact look.

He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. There she was. The girl he had been trying to find for days... the girl who meant so much to him was right here. _Right here_.

Mist was _here_.

Mist, on the other hand, still looked shocked - almost worried. It confused Raguna, but he didn't care right now. He had found her. She was safe and that was all that mattered to him.

"Mist!" He called out as he ran to her. Before he could exactly realize what he was doing, he had his arms wrapped around her small frame, squeezing her for dear life. "Mist, you're here... you're safe. Mist... Mist..." He honestly had never expected to act this emotional. But he couldn't stop himself from hugging her. He was just so... relieved.

Mist wrapped her arms around his waist in return. "It's okay... Raguna. I'm fine. No need to worry." Her voice sounded so soft, just like he remembered it. He couldn't help but hug her tighter - he didn't want to risk letting her go and having her randomly dissappearing on him again.

"Good. Just... don't leave again, Mist." Was all he said.

She was quiet for a while, but he could feel her arms tighten around him. "...I won't."

* * *

**Okay, thought I should stop it right there. I'll try to update sooner since I've gotten interested in this story again. But since school is right around the corner, I won't make any promises.**


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